1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to absorbent garments. Specifically, this invention relates to an absorbent garment having elastic side belts with adjusting strips that may be adjusted while the garment is in use.
2. Description of Related Art
Present-day all-in-one diapers are being replaced to an ever greater extent with pants-type diapers, or so-called training pants, for slightly older diaper-wearing children. Pants-type diapers have a number of good features. For example, pants-type diapers resemble conventional underpants and, thereby, can help somewhat older diaper-wearing children to learn to perform the operations required to put on conventional underpants as well as encourage the child to graduate to underpants. However, present garments can be difficult to put on, especially by young children. Furthermore, such garments are subject to loosening during use and may not fit smaller users very well.
Several efforts have been made to develop an absorbent garment/pants-type diaper with stretchable side panels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,068, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a pants-type diaper comprising elastic side panels interconnecting front and back sections of a backsheet. The elastic side panels are a composite of dissimilar layers that are bonded together. The elastic side panels extend over a substantial distance along the lateral edges of the backsheet and have long bond seams joining the panels. Such a construction provides substantially more side coverage of a user than a belt, leading to less direct breathability. Furthermore, the panels"" greater size and longer bond seams create smaller leg holes, which causes greater difficulty for a user attempting to put a foot through the leg hole; particularly for a younger user attempting to use the absorbent garment as a training pant without assistance. Additionally, the pants- or brief-type diaper disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,068 does not have a mechanism to adjust the fit of the diaper once the user is wearing the diaper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,483, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a diaper comprising a rectangular sheet. Partial, parallel lengthwise cuts are made in the sheet to form rectilinear slits. Pieces of elongated elastic are affixed to the lengthwise edges. When relaxed, the elastic gathers the rectangular sheet causing the slits to form leg holes and the elastic to form side belts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,483 does not, however, disclose a mechanism for adjusting the fit of the diaper while the user is wearing the diaper. Further, the pieces of elongated elastic are affixed directly to the sheet, which is believed to have the disadvantage of causing a poor fit for the diaper by permitting the formation of gaps between the diaper and the user at the ends of the rectilinear slits.
Accordingly, there exists a need to develop an absorbent garment having elastic side belts that may be used as a pants-type diaper. A need exists for such a garment to have leg holes of sufficient size to allow easier operation by a user; particularly a younger user inexperienced with the use of brief- or pants-type diapers. Further, a need exists for a garment providing the better fit allowed by elastic side panels while simultaneously providing breathability at the sides of the garment. There also exists a need for an absorbent garment with a specific bond and cut angle at the end of an elastic side belt to provide the user with a better fitting garment. Additionally, a need exists for a mechanism to adjust the fit of the garment; particularly once the user is wearing same. There also is a need to manufacture such a garment at a low cost.
An embodiment of the present invention provides an absorbent garment having a main body with front and rear waist edges, left and right side edges, and angular edges joining each of the side edges to the front and rear edges. The angular edges on the left side of the garment are joined to a left elastic side belt, and the angular edges on the right side of the garment are joined to a right elastic side belt. The garment may also comprise additional features, such as elastic leg gathers and standing leg gathers.
The angle of the bond used to attach the side belts to the main body has the advantage of preventing the garment from pulling away or uncomfortably gathering around the waist of the user. In one embodiment of the invention, adjustment strips are affixed to the elastic side belts that may be attached to a portion of the main body to loosen or tighten the garment to better fit the user. Such adjustments may be made by the user while the garment is being worn.
There also is provided a method of forming a garment comprising providing a continuous supply of main body material along the machine direction, cutting leg holes from the sides of the main body material, and providing a supply of elastic side belt material along each of the side edges of the main body material such that the elastic side belt material overlays the main body material. The elastic side belt material is bonded to the main body material in bond regions that are oriented at an angle to the machine direction, and excess portions of the elastic side belt material and main body material may be cut away from the assembly. Substantially complete diapers are severed from the assembly. Using this method, the garment may be manufactured entirely in the machine direction, providing faster, less expensive, and more efficient manufacturing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of various embodiments of this invention will become evident from the following description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.